Bike Winnipeg Welcomes Changes to Drivers Handbook

Bike Winnipeg is pleased that the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation has made changes to the Driver Handbook (see pages 72 to 75) to improve cyclist safety. In particular, we are pleased to see that the latest edition of the handbook includes clear instructions for motorists overtaking cyclists.

The safest and most courteous way to pass a cyclist

This is a great change, and we are very happy to see this improved messaging in the Driver’s Handbook.

As a reminder, please consider making a donation in support of our Safe Passing Campaign, putting a safe passing message onto the backs of buses across Winnipeg.

Mark Cohoe

7 comments

I would have hoped that they would made it mandatory to have bicyclists take out insurance and have a license plate. That way they can get tickets for constantly feeling that they are superior to motorists yet wanting the same rights.

Not sure that those things are in the purview of a drivers handbook. I’ll bite anyway, though. Cyclists are equally liable for everything they do on the road as motorists, they have equal opportunity to receive tickets for breaking the law. Most cyclists are insured through home or rental insurance, most policies include third party damage. Forcing cyclists to take out additional insurance would be redundant to already existing policies. Bicycles are superior to cars, they relieve traffic congestion, can be fueled by bananas and use considerable fewer resources for their production and maintenance.

People in Bikes (Cyclists) Should get ticked for going through red lights and stop signs.
when your off your feet you no longer can avoid the rules of the road.

Pedestrians cross on reds. I wish cops did something. So many times I had to slam on my breaks cause some dumb kid thinks they can just blow through a stop sign when the traffic coming the other way has no stop sign.

When cyclists wear a giant tin box that could damage pedestrians or other cars, then they can get insurance. I’ve never heard of a cyclist killing a pedestrian or totalling someone’s car. You’re all, however, discussing safety, which should be a right – and literally saying that you don’t consider cyclists’ safety important with your argument about them needing insurance first is ridiculous. Cyclists get attacked on a daily basis by vehiclists who push them dangerously out of their lane, and even pedestrians yelling at them about how they’re ‘supposed to ride on the road’. Pembina underpass? Please. You try, it’s literally taking our lives in our hands, no matter how much padding, with angry vehiclists like you on the road I’d take the ticket over getting creamed by angry, zealous drivers <3

Great point on the insurance. I hear you on getting squeezed by some of the people driving vehicles on our roads as well. Of course, its also important to remember that many of the people behind the wheel are making an effort to cooperate. Getting protected bike lanes onto the higher volume streets will prevent that one bad apple from ruing your day, while careful design of our streets can help ensure that the more prudent people driving on the streets set the pace/example for others.

Pembina Underpass will undergo some major changes as part of the rapid transit capital integration project, so that particular barrier should be a thing of the past within the next couple of years.